There was a time, when the elephant's nose was not as long as it is today. In fact, it was quite small. But a baby elephant changed all that. He was a curious fellow who asked ever so many questions.
He asked the ostrich why her tail feathers grew just so.
He asked the giraffe what made his skin spotty.
He asked the hippo why his eyes were red, and the baboon why melons tasted as they did.
"What does a crocodile have for dinner?" he asked one day.
"Shushh" said all the animals in a scared voice.
But he would not shushh.
By and by he met the Kolokolo bird. She told him where he could find an answer.
"Go to the grey, green, greasy Limpopo river," said she.
So off he went, carrying a load of bananas and sugarcane and melons. He'd be hungry on the way, you see.
After a week of trudging the baby elephant reached where he had to reach.
At the edge of the river he stepped on what he thought was a log of wood. It winked one eye.
"Excuse me, but have you seen a crocodile in these parts?" asked the baby elephant politely.
The creature winked the other eye and half lifted his tail out of the mud. "I am the crocodile," he said.
The baby elephant grew excited and kneeled down.
"I have been looking for you all these days," he said. "Will you please tell me what you have for dinner."
"Come nearer little one, come nearer and I'll tell you," said the crocodile.
The baby elephant put his head down close to the crocodile's mouth.
And the crocodile caught him by his little nose.
The baby elephant knew he was in BIG trouble. He sat back on his haunches. And he pulled and pulled.
The crocodile splashed in the water and pulled and pulled.
They both pulled and pulled. And the elephant's nose kept stretching and stretching. At last the crocodile let go.
The baby elephant flew back and fell - right on his big broad back.
He looked at his nose. He could not see where it ended! It was so long! So long, he could swish it around. But it hurt him awfully.
So he wrapped the nose in cool banana leaves and waited for it to shrink.
He waited and waited. But nothing happened. He could still swish it all around.
And so it remains to this day. Long. Very long!
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Saturday, July 28, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
The playful monkey – and the lesson he learnt because of his tail
One day, a group of monkeys came upon a construction site of a temple. The workmen had all gone off to eat lunch – only their tools and half finished pieces of sculpture and wooden frames were left behind at the site.
The monkeys started playing with the things the workmen had left behind. One monkey came upon a log of wood, on which a carpenter had been working. Before going for lunch, the carpenter had cut through half of it. He had inserted a wedge, a small piece of wood, inside the half-cut log. That way the two sides of the cut log would not come together again.
The monkey found this very interesting and started to play with it. He wondered what would happen if he took the wedge out. So he started pulling at the wedge. It was stuck. He tried harder. Suddenly the wedge came out and the two sides of the log slammed together – with monkey’s tail stuck in between!
The monkey started shouting loudly. His tail really hurt and he couldn’t get free. His friends rushed to help him. But they could not free the monkey’s tail from between the log.
Finally, some of the workmen heard the shouting and came to see what the noise was all about. As soon as they saw the monkey’s tail stuck in the log, they rushed to help him. After much pulling and tugging, they finally got him free – except that now he was a monkey without a tail. His long tail was still stuck fast between the two pieces of half-cut log!
Moral of the story: If you stick your nose where it does not belong, you will lose your tail.
The monkeys started playing with the things the workmen had left behind. One monkey came upon a log of wood, on which a carpenter had been working. Before going for lunch, the carpenter had cut through half of it. He had inserted a wedge, a small piece of wood, inside the half-cut log. That way the two sides of the cut log would not come together again.
The monkey found this very interesting and started to play with it. He wondered what would happen if he took the wedge out. So he started pulling at the wedge. It was stuck. He tried harder. Suddenly the wedge came out and the two sides of the log slammed together – with monkey’s tail stuck in between!
The monkey started shouting loudly. His tail really hurt and he couldn’t get free. His friends rushed to help him. But they could not free the monkey’s tail from between the log.
Finally, some of the workmen heard the shouting and came to see what the noise was all about. As soon as they saw the monkey’s tail stuck in the log, they rushed to help him. After much pulling and tugging, they finally got him free – except that now he was a monkey without a tail. His long tail was still stuck fast between the two pieces of half-cut log!
Moral of the story: If you stick your nose where it does not belong, you will lose your tail.
Sunday, July 22, 2007
The Talkative Turtle
One day, a turtle overheard two hunters discussing a plan to catch turtles the very next day.
When the hunters left the area, the turtle asked two cranes to help him escape.
"Beautiful white birds," he said, "if you hold a long stick between your beaks, I'll close my mouth tightly in the middle of it, and then you can fly up and carry me to safety."
"Good idea," said the cranes. "But, for the plan to succeed, you will have to keep your mouth closed tightly on the stick and you must not say a word!"
The turtle agreed and bit on the middle of a stick held in the beaks of two birds. Off flew the birds – carrying the turtle.
When the birds were high in the air with the turtle dangling down from the stick, some people on the ground looked up at the strange sight in the sky and said, "What clever birds! They figured out how to carry a turtle!"
The proud and talkative turtle cried out, "It was my idea!" and fell tumbling down to earth.
When the hunters left the area, the turtle asked two cranes to help him escape.
"Beautiful white birds," he said, "if you hold a long stick between your beaks, I'll close my mouth tightly in the middle of it, and then you can fly up and carry me to safety."
"Good idea," said the cranes. "But, for the plan to succeed, you will have to keep your mouth closed tightly on the stick and you must not say a word!"
The turtle agreed and bit on the middle of a stick held in the beaks of two birds. Off flew the birds – carrying the turtle.
When the birds were high in the air with the turtle dangling down from the stick, some people on the ground looked up at the strange sight in the sky and said, "What clever birds! They figured out how to carry a turtle!"
The proud and talkative turtle cried out, "It was my idea!" and fell tumbling down to earth.
Monday, July 16, 2007
The Donkey That Fell Into A Well
One day a farmer's donkey fell into a well. The animal cried piteously for hours as the farmer tried to figure out what to do.
Finally, the farmer decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
The farmer invited all his neighbors to come over and help him cover the well. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quietened down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off, stamp the new dirt into the ground with his feet (thus increasing the ground level) and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well (since the ground level had reached the top of the well with all the new dirt) and happily trotted off!
Moral of the story:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well of our problems is to shake off our troubles and take a step up. Each of our troubles is actually a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest well just by not stopping, never giving up – but learning from our problems to help us take a step up.
Modern times twist to the tale:
After recovering from the injuries he had sustained from falling into the well, the donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him.
The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.
Moral of the twist in the end:
Coming out victorious from problems is all the more sweeter if you can hit back at those who created the problems in the first place!
Finally, the farmer decided the animal was old, and the well needed to be covered up anyway; it just wasn't worth it to retrieve the donkey.
The farmer invited all his neighbors to come over and help him cover the well. They all grabbed shovels and began to shovel dirt into the well. At first, the donkey realized what was happening and cried horribly. Then, to everyone's amazement he quietened down.
A few shovel loads later, the farmer finally looked down the well. He was astonished at what he saw. With each shovel of dirt that hit his back, the donkey was doing something amazing. He would shake it off, stamp the new dirt into the ground with his feet (thus increasing the ground level) and take a step up.
As the farmer's neighbors continued to shovel dirt on top of the animal, he would shake it off and take a step up.
Pretty soon, everyone was amazed as the donkey stepped up over the edge of the well (since the ground level had reached the top of the well with all the new dirt) and happily trotted off!
Moral of the story:
Life is going to shovel dirt on you, all kinds of dirt. The trick to getting out of the well of our problems is to shake off our troubles and take a step up. Each of our troubles is actually a stepping stone. We can get out of the deepest well just by not stopping, never giving up – but learning from our problems to help us take a step up.
Modern times twist to the tale:
After recovering from the injuries he had sustained from falling into the well, the donkey later came back, and bit the farmer who had tried to bury him.
The gash from the bite got infected and the farmer eventually died in agony from septic shock.
Moral of the twist in the end:
Coming out victorious from problems is all the more sweeter if you can hit back at those who created the problems in the first place!
Friday, July 6, 2007
Their Master's Voice
Once upon a time there lived a very powerful king who loved vegetable gardens and courtiers. One day he had his throne placed in the midst of a patch of brinjals.
"God be praised!" the king exclaimed. "What a beautiful vegetable is this brinjal! What exquisite shape! What smoothness of texture! What colouring!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" chorused the courtiers. "Indeed God has made the brinjal the most beautiful of all vegetables in the world."
"But it does not taste very good," remarked the king. "And doctors say it has very little food value."
"Exactly so!" agreed the courtiers. "It is the foulest of foods. It is better to take poison than eat a brinjal!"
"You are a strange lot," said the king irately. "When I praise the brinjal, you heap superlatives on it. When I say a word in criticism, you run it down in equally strong language. What kind of people are you?"
The courtiers replied in courtly courtesy: "Your Highness, we eat your salt, not that of the brinjal."
"God be praised!" the king exclaimed. "What a beautiful vegetable is this brinjal! What exquisite shape! What smoothness of texture! What colouring!"
"Yes, Your Highness!" chorused the courtiers. "Indeed God has made the brinjal the most beautiful of all vegetables in the world."
"But it does not taste very good," remarked the king. "And doctors say it has very little food value."
"Exactly so!" agreed the courtiers. "It is the foulest of foods. It is better to take poison than eat a brinjal!"
"You are a strange lot," said the king irately. "When I praise the brinjal, you heap superlatives on it. When I say a word in criticism, you run it down in equally strong language. What kind of people are you?"
The courtiers replied in courtly courtesy: "Your Highness, we eat your salt, not that of the brinjal."
Tuesday, July 3, 2007
The Game
The king sat regally on his throne and glowered at his jester, who he had condemned to death for having committed a crime.
“Well,” asked the king, “do you have any last wish to make?”
The prisoner, who had been staring glumly at his feet, raised his eyes.
“Your Majesty!” he pleaded. “Please spare my life!”
“Impossible!” roared the king. “You have committed a crime and must be punished for it! But,” he added, softening a little, “since you have been my friend, you may choose whether you want to be hanged or beheaded.”
A faint gleam of hope appeared in the jester’s eyes.
“Then let us make a game of it, Your Majesty, as we have enjoyed so many games together in the past,” he said quickly. “I will make a statement, Your Majesty, and you will say whether it is true or false. If you say it is true, then hang me, and if it is false, then behead me.”
The king looked amused. “Certainly, my friend,” he said generously. “If you wish to die by a game, you shall have your wish.”
“That is your Royal Promise?” the jester asked hopefully.
The king smiled and replied: “Yes.”
The jester drew a deep breath. “Then here is my statement, Your Majesty: ‘I shall be beheaded.’”
The king went into a deep thought. Then he frowned. “If I say it is true, I will have to hang you,” the king said at last. “But if I do hang you, the statement will turn out to be false, and I should have beheaded you!”
“And in either case, you would have broken your Royal Promise!” said the jester softly.
For a moment, everybody thought that the king would have an apoplectic fit. Then, all of a sudden, he smiled.
“You are right, my clever friend,” said the king ruefully. “I will have to spare your life, after all! I cannot break my Royal Promise, can I?”
And so the jester’s life was spared – thanks to a clever little game!
“Well,” asked the king, “do you have any last wish to make?”
The prisoner, who had been staring glumly at his feet, raised his eyes.
“Your Majesty!” he pleaded. “Please spare my life!”
“Impossible!” roared the king. “You have committed a crime and must be punished for it! But,” he added, softening a little, “since you have been my friend, you may choose whether you want to be hanged or beheaded.”
A faint gleam of hope appeared in the jester’s eyes.
“Then let us make a game of it, Your Majesty, as we have enjoyed so many games together in the past,” he said quickly. “I will make a statement, Your Majesty, and you will say whether it is true or false. If you say it is true, then hang me, and if it is false, then behead me.”
The king looked amused. “Certainly, my friend,” he said generously. “If you wish to die by a game, you shall have your wish.”
“That is your Royal Promise?” the jester asked hopefully.
The king smiled and replied: “Yes.”
The jester drew a deep breath. “Then here is my statement, Your Majesty: ‘I shall be beheaded.’”
The king went into a deep thought. Then he frowned. “If I say it is true, I will have to hang you,” the king said at last. “But if I do hang you, the statement will turn out to be false, and I should have beheaded you!”
“And in either case, you would have broken your Royal Promise!” said the jester softly.
For a moment, everybody thought that the king would have an apoplectic fit. Then, all of a sudden, he smiled.
“You are right, my clever friend,” said the king ruefully. “I will have to spare your life, after all! I cannot break my Royal Promise, can I?”
And so the jester’s life was spared – thanks to a clever little game!
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